AP/Ipsos Poll On Mass Transit vs. Road Building

Washington, DC - Even though almost all working Americans drive alone or with others to work--and few take mass transit or walk--Americans overall are pretty evenly divided on whether government transportation spending should favor road-building or mass transit, The Associated Press/Ipsos Public Affairs poll on traffic and transportation shows. Divided on Spending Priorities Half (51%) think the higher priority should be on expanding public transportation. Only 46% prefer a priority be placed on building more roads and highways, even though 91% of working Americans drive to work, including 87% who drive alone. Urban residents (60%), people in the Northeast (59%), and college-educated women (62%) all prefer spending on public transportation. Republicans (58%), especially Republican men (63%) prefer road building, as do people in the Oil Patch states (60%) and rural areas in general (57%). While a majority of Americans say they would pay more in tax to improve roads and public transport, fully two-thirds in the Pacific region (65%) would be willing to pay up. This view is shared not only by Democratic voters (64%), but also half of Republicans (49%) and Independents (47%). Commuting Life Today Almost everyone who works outside the home drives to work, and almost all those drivers drive alone. Public transportation is most often used by people living in the Northeastern U.S. (13%), city dwellers (9%) and minorities (12%). Just 4% overall say they carpool, hardly more than the 3% who walk to work each day. On average, Americans who drive themselves or ride with someone else to work spend about 22 minutes on the road each way. A third (32%) get to work in ten minutes or less, and only 2% say they drive more than an hour each way. Men (25 minutes on average) tend to have a longer commute than women (18 minutes), and men who are over age 45 (30 minutes), living in the suburbs (29 minutes) and married (28 minutes on average) have the longest commutes of all. Six-in-ten Americans say that traffic in their area is an inconvenience, although more say it is a minor (39%) than a major one (21%). Four-in-ten say it is not an inconvenience. Traffic is most often reported to be a major inconvenience by people in the Pacific region (32%). Urban and suburban residents alike see traffic as a bother. Signs indicate that traffic is only getting worse. Half (55%) say traffic in their area has gotten worse over the past five years, a third (33%) say it is about the same. Only 6% say traffic has improved in their area. Residents of the Pacific region are among the most likely to say traffic has gotten worse (69%; 50% "a lot"), along with suburbanites (62%). Women who are married (65%), over age 45 (62%), have some college (63%) or a degree (61%), have household incomes over $50,000 per year (63%), and are Democratic voters (65%) are relatively more critical of traffic today than others. Over three-quarters (78%) say they have made at least one change to their daily routine because of increased traffic. Half or more say they have allowed more time for travel (63%), avoided certain roads (57%) or driving during certain hours (51%). People living in the Northeast (72%) and Pacific (73%) regions are most likely to say they have changed their routine to accommodate increased traffic. However, only one in ten (11%) say they have taken mass transit instead of driving. This option is most common among people living in cities (20%) and the Northeast (20%; 14% in the Pacific region), non-whites (23%) and those with low household income (19%). Between June 18-20, 2004, Ipsos Public Affairs conducted a poll of 1,000 adults nationwide for The Associated Press. The margin of error is +3.1 percentage points. For more information on this press release, please contact: Janice Bell Director, Ipsos Public Affairs Washington, D.C. 202.463.7300 About Ipsos Public Affairs Ipsos Public Affairs, headquartered in Washington D.C., is a non-partisan, objective, survey-based research company made up of campaign and political polling veterans as well as seasoned research professionals. The company conducts strategic research initiatives for a diverse number of American and international organizations, based not only on public opinion research but often elite stakeholder, corporate, and media opinion research. It has offices in New York City, Chicago, San Ramon (CA), and Washington, with affiliates around the world. Ipsos Public Affairs conducts national and international public opinion polling on behalf of The Associated Press, the world's oldest and largest news organization, and conducts the young voters poll for Newsweek.com. Ipsos Public Affairs is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group. To learn more, visit: www.ipsos-na.com/news/pa About Ipsos Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and reactions of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world. Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe. 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